Did you ever notice how nothing that was cool in 1989 is still cool? Vanilla Ice is no longer cool. Color Me Badd is not cool anymore. Arsenio Hall is not cool anymore. Collecting pencils is not cool anymore.
What's going on? I was stumped to find anyone who is still cool in 2000 that was cool 10 years ago. That is, until I started going through my complete collection of Paula Abdul videos. Now, it's safe to say that Paula Abdul is not cool anymore, but I found someone who is -- MC Skat Kat.
MC Skat Kat was best known back then for his role as Paula's opposite in the music video for her song "Opposites Attract." Thanks to that exposure and a critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful solo effort, Kat has enjoyed lasting coolness.
For one thing the MC Skat Kat look has held up over time. The simple jeans, wife-beater and suspenders look never went out of style, nor did the red suit and saddle shoes look that he took on at the end of the video. That quick change also showed Kat's versatility, which was a sure sign of ongoing popularity to the trained eye. His understated flattop and goatee stood the test of time, as well.
Kat's concerted efforts at maintaining and building on his fame are what have really done it. He began presenting his public image with a highly publicized donation to a homeless charity in his name, founding the now ubiquitous line of "Kat's Kitchen" shelters. And after his solo album, "The Adventures of MC Skat Kat and the Stray Mob," didn't sell (despite featuring such lyrical and topical gems as "I Ain't No Kitty," "No Dogs Allowed," and "New Kat Swing"), he redoubled his efforts with a foray into acting.
This acting career is what most people know him for now. He started small with a few rather demeaning cat food commercials (coining the phrase "meow-rific") but quickly caught the eye of Hollywood's elite. His first feature film appearance was as a lascivious and abusive prison guard in "Caged Heat 3: Behind Bars." The role wasn't seen by many, but it got his name on the marquee for the first time. After a few B-movies and higher-level endorsements, Kat got his big break.
In the fall of 1994, Kat was cast in the lead for "Lethal Weapon 2." Replacing Mel Gibson, who was nursing his opium addiction at a fraudulent health care retreat for wealthy addicts in Afghanistan, Kat turned in a Golden Globe-winning performance as Lieutenant Frank Fee Line.
He parlayed that critical success into a series of high profile roles, eventually landing the role of the grizzled but caring beekeeper starring opposite Patricia Richards in "Ulee's Gold," and his first Oscar. There have been rumors of a bizarre sexual fetish for cats, but Kat has generally kept very clean, and is currently in a long-term relationship with Julie Newmar.
Kat pulls in over $20 million per movie and is now working on his second solo album, tentatively titled "MC Skat Kat Live at Birdland." One thing's for certain -- MC Skat Kat is most definitely still cool over 10 years after he burst onto the scene in "Opposites Attract."
